Bars and Restaurants

Gary Moses is trying again to give away the Mixology Warehouse, his wholesale/retail liquor store located at the Lumberyard in Cruz Bay.  The business will go to the person who writes the best 100 to 200 word essay on why they are "ready to break out of a rut and start a new life in paradise," according to rules of the contest on its Web site. Moses plans to cap the entries at 8,000 which, with an entry fee of $100, would generate $800,000. He said the approximate value of the business is $500,000.

The winner gets the fully stocked store, serving more island restaurants and bars plus private parties, weddings and deliveries to villas.  Three months’ rent will also paid, and Moses will stay for a week of on-the-job training for the new owner.

Read moreCheers: Win a liquor store.

St. Johnians need a vacation, too.  Living on a rock in the ocean has its own challenges. The simple fact is that everyone needs a break.

Many restaurant owners find mid-August and September to be good times to cut back hours, if only to try and lessen the odds of having their businesses affected by severe weather like tropical storms or worse.

Ruth Ernst, the owner of St. John Spice maintains a Web page which keeps track of who’s open and who’s closed, and when.  If you’re headed to the island, it’s a good idea to print this page out and them, as a last check, call before you go – just to make sure there hasn’t been a change in plans.

St. John restaurant closings schedule: www.stjohnspice.com/stjohnrestaurants.htm

Some visitors have a love and hate reaction to island restaurants.

"Sometimes. I just refuse to cook on vacation," said ACB in a posting on a TripAdvisor forum.  Agreeing with another commenter, Bluewater that food and service is inconsistent (at island eateries), ACB said, "I’m willing to eat mediocre food in a beautiful location and, after a few drinks, it tastes sublime."

Bluewater does have some favorites.  "We love Uncle Joe’s BBQ and Skinny Legs and the Deli in Mongoose Junction.  Our last experience at Lime Inn was not very good.  The Fish Trap is good but pricey for what you get."

Stanflyfisher was generally negative, save for his likes (Joe’s and the Deli).  He really didn’t like the Lime Inn or Morgan’s Mango, but liked the Tamarind Inn enough to go twice.

RGC1600 defended the restaurants, saying he has his own database of 28 restaurants. "My experience, and that of many others, is that there are lots of fine dining experiences at most budget levels on St. John," he wrote. "Morgan’s Mango and Lime Inn are consistently praised — if you had a bad experience, I’m sorry, but they are by no means ‘horrible.’ They serve excellent food and have many devoted fans."

ACB says he, too, has had a few bad meals on island and makes his decisions about where to eat based on price and value.  "This is why I am boycotting higher end white table restaurants.  They have not consistently delivered a product worthy of the price."

Celobeach wrote that she had a great time at LaTapa. "The
waitress knew the menu and wine list. She answered our questions and
gave recommendations for each course. Her manner was informed, not
snotty. We feasted that evening and it was worth every penny."

(Chefs on island know they have challenges maintaining consistent quality.  Listen to Paradiso’s Paul Trujillo talk about how hard he works to develop a menu despite changing and unreliable food supplies and availability.)

Grill Your Own at Maho  Monday and Tuesday Nights.  Steak, sausage, Yellow fin tuna, and shrimp are among the choices for you to prepare with some tips, and island spices, from chef Mon Phon.  $6-$12.  Estate Concordia, phone 340-693-5855.

Wednesday is Shrimp Night at the Lime Inn.  A favorite of locals for years and years.  340-776-6425.

Read moreMore cheap stuff on island, courtesy of the St. John Sun Times

Anyone who’s ever walked around Cruz Bay when Fred’s is rocking with reggae will get a kick out of this story. 

The Governor has signed the "Noise Pollution Act" to require that bars and taverns in the Territory be soundproofed.  As Mayor Daley once said when asked about something he thought was preposterous, "Just say, I smiled."

Gov. John deJongh issued a statement admitting he has second thoughts about signing Bill 27-0026, enacted "to prohibit unreasonable, excessive and annoying noise levels."

"The legislation leaves too much discretion in the hands of the agents charged with investigating and enforcing alleged violations of the law," he said.  In other words, you can only hope the investigating police officer is having a good night and doesn’t think tourists are having too good a time. 

The Act’s focus on noise "may have a harmful impact on some of our cultural traditions" deJongh added.  Also, soundproofing open-air spots like the Beach Bar or Island Blues could, the Governor indicated,  "adversely affect our tourism product."

And what do you do about Woody’s?  Put all those people inside?  Just say, I would smile.

The founder and former chef at Tage, one of the island’s best-reviewed restaurants, has launched a newspaper column in the St. John Tradewinds.  In his first effort, Ted Robinson said the bimonthly "A Kitchen Conversation" is intended "to get the point across that food and cooking should not be about a technical list of ingredients." Cooking should be simple and enjoyable.  "It should be about the act of doing it, adding your own personal touch…"

The first column included a recipe for "Dry Rub Grilled Mahi Mahi with fresh fruit, salsa, arugala, and crispy bread.  It calls for 8 seeds and spices and five fruits (simple?).  The list also includes a bag of Josephine’s Greens, a loaf of bread from Baked in the Sun, salt, pepper, and oilier oil.  Read his columns (1) and (2).

Meanwhile, Ted’s doing some promotion for his private chef business. Eric, on the Virgin-Islands-On-Line forum, post a link to Ted’s Supper Club.